This year’s Agritechnica, the world’s largest agricultural machinery expo, has been postponed until February 2022, say organisers DLG (German Agricultural Society). Originally planned for November 2021 Agritechnica will now take place from 27 February to 5 March 2022.
The tough decision to postpone has been made due to the latest extended Covid-19 restrictions, prompted by a third wave of the virus in Europe, along with a slow response from the German government to ensure a fast and effective vaccination programme
An official statement reads : “DLG is postponing the Agritechnica trade fair. Because of the continuing coronavirus pandemic as well as the progress of vaccination programs, both in Germany and abroad, the DLG, VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association and Agritechnica’s exhibitor advisory board have concluded that insufficient certainty for planning currently exists for the world-leading exhibition in November.
“The new dates for Agritechnica are 27 February to 5 March 2022. With the four-month postponement of the trade fair, the DLG, as organiser, as well as the members of the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association, believe that the participating companies have the necessary certainty required for planning.”
Prior to this decision two big name exhibitors, John Deere and SDF, had already pulled out of the show while others were considering their positions.
Dr Reinhard Grandke, CEO of DLG, says: “As a world-leading trade fair, Agritechnica is the meeting point for the entire agricultural machinery industry, as well as a leading international business platform. The essential requirements for exhibitors, visitors and business partners to be able to gather again at Agritechnica are vaccine and test strategies that have been put into practice in Germany, Europe and worldwide.
“Our top priority is to offer exhibitors and visitors certainty in planning but this is not currently the case. As a consequence, the decision to postpone Agritechnica was taken by the DLG in close cooperation with Agritechnica’s exhibitor advisory board and VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association as industry partner.
“We are convinced that by late summer, which is the deadline for exhibitors to register for Agritechnica 2022, we will be able to give our exhibitors and visitors the clarity necessary for certainty in their planning.”
Anthony van der Ley, chairman of the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association, adds: “For our industry, Agritechnica is and will continue to remain the undisputed flagship in the world of international trade fairs. In close cooperation with the DLG, we have done everything we can to develop a trade fair concept for this autumn that is fit for the pandemic.
“The third wave of the pandemic is currently in full force. But above all it is the disappointing vaccination policies in the German federal and regional governments, which have unfortunately slowed us down for the time being.
“We are now looking to spring 2022 with fresh momentum and renewed energy so that we can celebrate an Agritechnica together as we know it and love it.”
Exhibitors reacted with disappointment to the news. “What we are missing now more than ever is personal customer dialogue and to directly experience the innovations,” says Klaus-Herbert Rolf, chairman of the VDMA press and advertising working group at OEM Claas.
Christoph Gröblinghoff, VP and chairman of the AGCO/Fendt Management Board adds, “For many years now we have appreciated Agritechnica as the outstanding driving force behind innovation in the agricultural machinery industry. Nowhere else can we experience new technologies for crop production in a comparable breadth and depth. For us, Agritechnica is the ideal presentation and communication platform, as it makes the future of agribusiness tangible. We look forward to the upcoming trade fair in March 2022.”
